Montreal's MainLine Theatre Launches Call for Help

Now is the time to come to the aid of your local St. Laurent Blvd. walk-up theatre.

This afternoon (Tuesday), MainLine artistic and executive producer Jeremy Hechtman launched an urgent call for financial help on Facebook, including this rather melodramatic statement:

“Over the years, we have overcome the many obstacles faced by all independent artists cursed with deeper passions than pockets. Still, we never lost our cockeyed optimism. However, recent changes in the political and economic landscapes hit us hard and fast. The unfortunate reality is, if we don’t raise $15,000 by the end of 2012 we will have to shut our doors forever.”

At the same time, Fringe Festival director Amy Blackmore wants to make it clear that although the Montreal Fringe Festival has its offices at MainLine, the festival itself is not in trouble.

Hechtman told the Gazette that a number of factors rather than any one single cause for the crisis. But he admitted that a recent decision taken by the MainLine board of directors to cease “selling” alcohol on the premises (specific donations were requested per drink) had an immediate effect on potential December income from holiday season parties. And the fact that certain government grants arrive later in the season than they used to was another complication. Then unexpected bills landed. And the panic button was pressed.

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